Laolu Akande, spokesman of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has confirmed the attack of a photojournalist with Vanguard, Abayomi Adeshida, by security operatives attached to the VP at Aso Rock.

The incident took place at the banquet hall of the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday where the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), chaired by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, organised a summit.
Some Department of State Services (DSS) operatives attached to the office of the vice-president had descended on the journalist at the event.

Adeshida was taking photographs of the vice president at the exhibition stand when DSS operatives pounced on him as Osinbajo was being presented a copy of magazine as souvenir.

The photojournalist later told his colleagues that he was not told his offence. He said he did not do anything out of the ordinary before the security operatives started hitting him.

His camera was damaged while he was dragged on the floor right in the presence of the vice-president.

“I was shocked when these DSS operatives started beating me for no reason. They tore off my Presidential Villa accreditation tag on the shirt and dragged me on the floor while hitting me and kicking me,” he said.

“I believe they would have done much worse if not for the intervention of the Vice-President’s aide-de-camp (ADC), who I noticed was making hand movements for them to leave me alone.

“I am feeling pains all over my body and a particular sever pain on my right leg on which I don’t even know what they hit me with.”

The incident happened a day after 35 aides of the Vice-President were reported sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari.

apologised to Abayomi Adeshida, a photojournalist with Vanguard, who was beaten up by security operatives at Aso Rock on Thursday morning.

The incident took place at the banquet hall of the presidential villa in Abuja where the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), chaired by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, organised a summit.

Some Department of State Services (DSS) operatives attached to the office of the vice-president had descended on Adeshida at the event.

After initially denying he assault, Osinbajo's spokesman, Akande has now apologised to the journalist.

In a tweet, Akande expressed regrets over the incident, disclosing that he had reached out to the journalist involved.

In his tweet, Akande also denied the list on the sacked aides of Osinbajo though he did not release any other list.

“The needless scuffle btw a villa accredited photographer, Mr. Adeshida & one of our security aides earlier today has since been resolved. Incident is regretted & I have apologized to him for any embarrassment caused. Also, a list circulating in the media on d so-called sacked presidential aides is not genuine and ought to be ignored,” Akande tweeted.